Christmas was fast approaching with just three weeks till the holiday, and Harry was getting a little annoyed with Hermione, she had worked non stop all term and was working herself much to hard, three days in a row he had woken in the middle of the night only to find her sitting in the living room studying Gryffindor’s book. She spent her time between working with the squibs in the new classes that Dumbledore had organised, odd weekends she would work on their cottage, or curing werewolves of their affliction, and when she was not busy with one of those she would be studying the book, with or without Madam Pomfrey’s help, with all that and her school work she had begun to lose weight.

Harry decided it was time he put his foot down with a very firm hand, getting up from his nice warm bed he checked the time, it was just past three in the morning. Walking into the living room he found his wife had fallen asleep, homework essays were all around her. Quietly he removed the scrolls of parchment, rolling them neatly then stacking them carefully on the coffee table.

With her homework out of the way, Harry gently picked Hermione up from the armchair and carried her to bed, she only made a small murmur as he lay her in the warm spot he had been sleeping in as gently as he could, pulling the covers over her he whispered “This has to stop before you make yourself ill.”

Walking back into the living room Harry was surprised to find a total stranger sitting warming himself in front of the fire.

“Hello there ‘m’ boy,” the stranger said as Harry made a shield around the bedroom door, there was something familiar about the man but Harry just couldn’t place it for a few seconds, then it came to him, he was looking at Godric Gryffindor himself.

“Now if I had been in your shoes, I would have cast a spell first, and asked questions later,” Godric said smiling.

“I suppose I’m just getting used to having dead folk drop in on me in the middle of the night,” Harry said as he took the seat opposite his ancestor. “So what is it this time, the Time masters not finished with me yet?”

“Oh no nothing like that, in fact I’m probably going to be in a whole heap of trouble for this, I seem to have forgotten to ask for permission. No I just thought I would pop in for a visit,” Godric said grinning.

“Oh just popped in, just like that eh?” Harry said grinning himself.

“Well truth is Harry, that wife of yours has a lot of us worried, she is fated to be the greatest witch ever, but if she keeps up this pace she will not live long enough, anyway I took a little time to come and warn you, you should show her this memory,” Godric looked straight into Harry’s eyes “Hermione Jane Potter, this has to stop, I do not want my last heir to be Harry, do you hear me, Lily and James want to see some grandchildren, none of us will get to see the Potter line continue if you insist on killing yourself.”

“So it’s as bad as I thought then,” Harry said rubbing his eyes “I thought she was losing weight. I’ve been worried sick about her.”

“She just can’t keep it up Harry, she has already found eleven different cures and curse removers, if I had known this would happen I would never have suggested to James that she study the book. She’s near the point of no return Harry, a body can only take so much then it will either stop working or it will go crazy,” Godric said sadly.

“Hermione always over does it when she is trying to help people, look how she gave up her own life to help me when I needed her, what am I to say to the woman I love, stop being so clever, stop helping people,” Harry mumbled

“Tell your Hermione that it is time to think of you and of her children, the ones she wants, she has to be strong for the future. That and who would look after you if she isn’t around,” Godric chuckled.

Having given his warning Godric sat talking to Harry about various subjects, he spoke of how Merlin admired Harry’s ability to adapt to the changes in his life, they spoke a little about Quidditch and other non important things until

Godric suddenly declared, “Oh, Oh, I’ve been caught, well be seeing you Harry.” just before vanishing.

Hermione woke around seven, it took her a few moments to realise she was in her bed, ‘Harry must have carried me’ she thought as she sat up.
Harry was not in the bed and the other half of the bed was cold to the touch.
Going into the living room Hermione found Harry fully dressed and fast asleep in the armchair next to a dead fire.

She woke Harry when she had made a pot of tea, after rubbing his eyes she began to tell him off for not sleeping in the bed.
Harry’s seemingly infinite patience with her suddenly snapped,

“How the hell can you sit there and lecture me, when you expect me to sit and watch you work yourself in to the grave?” he exploded.

Surprised Hermione pulled back from him “Harry I, What, But,” she stammered lost for words at his outburst.

“Hermione don’t give me no ifs and buts, I had another visitor last night, as if I wasn’t worried enough about you, I have to have another dead person come and tell me they are worried too” Harry almost shouted “why the hell can’t you listen to me.”

“Harry I’m fine, I’m managing alright,” she insisted.

“YOU ARE NOT FINE,” Harry finally shouted “you are losing weight, you work when you should be eating or sleeping, you never give it a rest, how do we have a baby if you are dead?” he had said it; the thing that Godric’s warning was about.

Hermione stood speechless, she knew she had lost some weight but it was only a little she told herself, but she just had so much to do she couldn’t stop now.

Harry knew he had not got through to her yet, if he left it now she would just carry on, “Ok you want to die, you just go right on and do it, I’ll just have to get used to being the last of a long line,” he said before he walked off toward the bathroom.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean,” Hermione yelled at his back.

Harry took a deep breath, he may well regret what he was about to say but she needed to be told. Turning slowly to face her he closed his eyes so he could say what he needed to say.

“If you keep this up we will not be able to have children, you are working your body to a standstill and you are being too stupid to see it” he held his breath waiting for her reply.

She stood there her mouth open, she could not believe Harry, her Harry had just called her stupid,

“Harry James Potter, it’s not me who is useless, too stupid to get through all these years at school without help, too thick to be able to do your own home work, too much of a dunce to do your own essays, you were the one who needed the help, you were always the stupid useless one, so why the hell don’t you leave me alone,” she yelled.

Harry did not believe what he had heard, he had expected several things but he had never expected that, without another word he began walking over to the writing table, Harry picked up the pensieve then placed it on the coffee table, he pulled out his wand and extracted two memories from his temple, he then placed them in the pensieve, returned his wand to his pocket. He then walked over to the door and grabbed his cloak; he walked out of the door closing it behind him.

Hermione had seen the look in his eyes as she yelled at him, she saw the deep hurt he had felt at her harsh words, words she was even now regretting ever having uttered, she did not even know where they had come from, she had never thought Harry stupid or useless but the words had been said, it was their first row and from the look in Harry’s eye, she thought it might well be their last.

Dressing quickly she went in search of him; she searched the castle in all the places she knew he liked to go and think or to be alone but she could not find him. Back in Gryffindor tower she begged Ginny to help her find him, when Ginny finally got her to tell what had happened and what she had said, Ginny stopped in mid stride.

“You have to tell me you did not say that to Harry, you did not call Harry of all people ‘useless’,” Ginny said shocked.

Hermione with tears running down her cheeks nodded she had indeed called him useless.

“Oh God Hermione what the hell have you done, all those years of the Dursleys calling him useless and you just did the same,” Ginny said turning around “I don’t think you will find him in the castle, in fact you might never see him again, how the bloody hell could you do that.”

Hermione had not even given the Dursleys a thought until Ginny mentioned them, it was then she realised just what that hurt look in Harry’s eyes was, his own wife thought him useless just like the people who had mistreated him so badly he still had the scars, the one he loved, thought just like the ones who hated him so much.

Somewhere in the turmoil that was her mind Hermione remembered the pensieve, she rushed back to their quarters with Ginny following her, seconds after arriving in their living room Hermione was standing with Ginny watching the conversation with Godric.

The second memory made Ginny gasp, it was the memory of Hermione yelling at him in a hateful tone and calling him useless and stupid and telling him to leave her alone.

Hermione looked at herself in Harry’s memory she actually looked as though she had hated him, but she knew it was her sunken eyes and the deep dark circles around them, even she could see she did not look well, she had lost a lot of weight and not just the little she had been telling herself. But it was the words that made her cry harder, her hate filled words that she had yelled at him for wanting to help her.

She had seen in his other memory how worried he was, Godric had even come to voice the concerns of himself Lily and James, she saw just how much love there was for her and she had probably thrown it all away, just to learn a little more.

Harry arrived at Potter House and made straight for the stable, he needed to let off some steam and a hard ride would help, he wasn’t mad at Hermione, he was a little disappointed that she thought him useless, but he knew she did not mean the things she had said, he had been there before, he had said things when he had been bone tired and on the edge. He knew she had not been thinking as the words came out, but the bit about being useless had stung, even after all these years it was still there, the fear of being useless, the fear that had driven him for most of his life, yes it had stung even if he knew inside she did not think that of him.

With Goldie saddled and ready Harry led her down to the gate that allowed him onto his fields, closing the gate he pulled Goldie over and climbed into the saddle, after giving her chance to warm up Harry rode as fast as she could go, jumping fences and gates as they crisscrossed his land, twenty minutes later he was ready to ride back, he urged Goldie on faster and faster toward the hedge that would land them in the last field before the stable paddock, Goldie landed a little awkwardly and Harry found himself being thrown through the air.

Dig came from the house just having finished his breakfast, the first thing he noticed was the stable door was open, he knew he had not left it open, it was one of his own golden rules, keep the stable warm.
Fearing someone was trying to steal the horses he hurried over then quietly entered the building, the only thing out of place was Goldie, she was not in her stall and her tack was missing as well.

A minute later he heard the clatter of hooves out side, rushing out he found a rather hot and sweaty Goldie, she had obviously been out for a good run, looking around Dig could not see who might have been riding her.
Dig yelled for help from the house and was joined by Glanry just a few seconds later.

Glanry informed Dig that no one except the Master or Mistress could enter the grounds without setting off an alarm of some sort.

“Well one of them must be out there somewhere,” Dig said flourishing his arm around, “And if they fell off with the ground so hard they could be hurt.”

“You fetch the staff, then we will search the fields, I do hope Harry is alright,” Dig said quietly.

“How do you know It’s Master Harry?” Glanry asked.

“The Mrs would only ride beauty,” Dig answered him while straining to see across the fields.

It was twenty minutes later when cook found Harry in a ditch, he was in a rather bad way, he had two obvious broken bones and was unconscious, he also had a rather large piece of a branch sticking out of his chest.

When Glanry levitated Harry out of the ditch they were all horrified to see the branch went right through him, and a large piece also protruded from his back.

“Must have hit that tree when he came off,” Dig said as he examined the scuff marks where Goldie had stumbled.

Glanry levitated Harry to the house, followed by the rest of the staff, who were all looking worriedly at Harry. As soon as he had placed Harry in his bed, Glanry floo called the local healer, then immediately after he floo called Hogwarts and told Dumbledore about the accident.

Dumbledore sent for Hermione who was frantic with worry about Harry, she could not think where he might be, he had not turned up for the first lesson and she was convinced he had left her for good. Dumbledore also sent for Ginny, he had spent enough time with the teenagers to know Hermione would want Ginny there if she needed anyone to be with her.

The local healer had arrived and having examined Harry he knew there was nothing he could do, Harry would need an expert, preferably the best there was to give him any chance at all of surviving, talking to Dig and Glanry the healer told them they should place a petrifying charm on Harry as he should not be allowed to move at all, if Harry was to be treated then the treatment would have to be brought to him.

The three of them waited impatiently for Hermione to arrive, she was the only one who could decide what was to be done. It was too great a decision to be made by anyone else.

Hermione, Dumbledore, and Ginny arrived five minutes later; Dumbledore noticed the look on the healers face as they stepped out of the fire place.

“How is Mr Potter?” he asked quietly.

“He’s alive for now, I don’t know how long he has, but he will need an expert in this kind of trauma, preferably the best there is.” He looked at the two young women; one of them had quite a big decision, whatever she decided could end up killing the patient. He was glad he was not the one having to do it.

Glanry led them up to the room where he had placed Harry. Harry was lying on his side the large piece of wood sticking out like a spear. Hermione rushed to her husbands’ side but stopped to take his hand gently.

‘Oh, Harry I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, please don’t die, I can’t live without you’ she thought as she looked at the wood.

‘Hello love,’ she heard as she lifted his hand to her cheek.

‘Oh Harry, what have I done?’

‘Do I look as bad as I feel’ Harry tried to joke.

‘I’m so sorry Harry I never meant it, I never meant a word of it, I love you so much, I was just being stupid, tell me you forgive me’

‘There’s nothing to forgive now tell me the truth love, what did the healer say?’ Harry asked.

’I’ll get the best there is Harry, I wont let you die, and don’t you even think about leaving me alone’ she thought as she turned to Dumbledore.

“He’s awake, he wants to know what the healer says,” she told the watching people.

“Are you sure he’s awake, he shouldn’t be not with that amount of damage,” the healer said disbelieving.

“Hi Harry love, you hang in there till madam Pomfrey says you can get up,” Ginny said to him gently.

There was a quick flare in the fire place and Poppy Pomfrey stepped into the room, walking toward the bed she tutted “What did you do this time Harry?” as she approached his bed.

Turning to the local healer Poppy beckoned him to join her, “I’m going to remove this wood, now I want you to do the quickest and best wound cleaning job you have ever done, when I tell you, you start cleaning, then start immediately after with a deep healing charm, work your way to the surface slowly, don’t worry about the blood loss, our Harry here is quite good at loosing blood, just don’t take to long or even he won’t get up from this one.”

“Can you hear me Harry, on the count of three I shall remove the wood, now this is going to hurt like the dickens but I need you to stay with me, have you got that, don’t you dare be the first patient to die on me, or you will find yourself doing detentions with Professor Binns every day till he retires,” Poppy told Harry in no uncertain terms.

‘Hermione love will you tell them to get on with it, please’ Harry pleaded.

For the first time in his life Harry was really scared, he felt like he was dying but something was stopping him, he realised it was the words he had heard from the writer of fates telling him he would be with Hermione through it all.
He passed out again before Poppy ever got to the counting of three. The darkness came down on him like a cloud.